1. Public Interactions and Chemical Reactions

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Public Presentations (3 credit hours) and Science/Math II- Physical Science (4 credit hours).}

Students will gain an understanding of the basic concepts of chemistry (e.g., chemical classification, atomic structure, periodic trends) and will share this understanding with others as they prepare and deliver speeches about science and healthcare related issues. Students will give reports based on laboratory experiments, with a special emphasis on communication practices in healthcare environments. Proficiency in algebra is strongly recommended (MATH 105 or higher). This learning community is particularly suited for pre-nursing majors.

This course will be divided into the following “chapters” or sections:

Humility and Grandeur: In this section, we will explore the relationship between conquerors and the conquered in Spain and the Americas. We will focus on the reciprocity of influence with regard to language, technology, and cultural traditions.

Tell me where you’re from and I’ll tell you who you are: This section will look at geographic history and natural advantages and obstacles in different Spanish-speaking countries. We will examine in what way geography has determined the character and traditions of specific regions.

Writing on the Wall: This “chapter” will be concerned with the development of art and language in the Hispanic world. From the cave paintings of Altamira, to the indigenous art of the Americas, to some of the world’s greatest modern literature and paintings, we will consider the function of art to teach, record, and inspire.

Nouns, verbs, ones, and zeroes: At this point in the semester we will take a look at structure in language, and will discuss parallels in spoken languages (Spanish and English) and unspoken languages (especially computer languages such as JAVA C++, etc).

Is that a gun or a god?: This section will explore the language of religion and its use as a tool of indoctrination and inspiration in Hispanic history.

Translation, please?: Here we will examine immigration and its linguistic and cultural implications in the modern world. We will also look at the way in which learning a new language gives one new insights into the human experience.

Message in a Bottle – Quo Vadimus?: In conclusion we will ponder the question, “Quo vadimus” – Where are we going? – and what message or “vision” do we, as individuals, carry into the future. What will be the effect of our increasingly technology-driven lives on future generations, and how, in particular, will the world be changed by the growing number of Spanish-speakers across the globe?

3. The Rise of Modernity

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Humanities I-History (3 credit hours) and Humanities III-Philosophy/Religion (3 credit hours).}

The modern age begins in the late fifteenth century with the clash of cultures between the European World and other worlds. As it develops, it continues to raise historical and philosophical questions about morality, ethics and progress. Together, the courses will present history with a philosophical underpinning, or philosophy with a historical underpinning -- however one chooses to analyze it.

Our introduction to the modern practice of philosophy is grounded in a historical context, which begins with the Renaissance and the Reformation and extends to the 20th Century. The focus of the philosophy component of this learning community will be those philosophical ideas and debates which helped to shape our modern world. In particular, the moral and political notions centered around human rights and the concept of democracy will be explored in relation to the historical events and societies which gave birth to our modern world.

4. Modern War and Rhetoric

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Writing/Communication Skills (4 credit hours) and Humanities I-History (3 credit hours).}

War is an eternal topic. During the history portion of this learning community, we will examine the complexities of modern war, particularly in light of the ever-widening battlefield. Students will read, view, and discuss literature and film about the history of conflict. Topics will include WWI, WWII, and the American/Vietnam War. During the writing portion of these two courses, students will learn basic techniques of argumentation and correct writing skills. Assignments will include papers concerning the heartbreak of war and its trauma.

How do you define your self and voice, both verbally and through writing, in the college community?

What traits define personality and where do they come from?

Our act of self-discovery will thread psychology, writing and daily college life together. The writing process will help us establish an authentic voice, while we explore the tools of psychology and our daily actions to investigate why we behave as we do. So much of contemporary theory teaches us about the establishment of identity and the process of achieving a strong sense of self. We want to attempt to discover landscapes of identity through writing, through conversation about diversity, social and personal patterns, movement, and behavior.

Other components of the Learning Community include:

Service learning

Writing workshops

Library research instruction

Campus Exploration

Community building activities

6. Wilderness, Suburbs, and Action

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Writing/Communication Skills (4 credit hours) and Science/Math III - Life Science (4 credit hours).}

These two classes combine the skills of college writing and research along with the exciting exploration of the natural environment. Experience the outdoors of Utah and delve into the importance of giving attention to environmental issues. Journal your views and reflect upon what you have learned. Learn how to incorporate college classes together, bringing the skills of each into one. Get a good start on writing and research skills here at Westminster.

7. Speaking of Philosophy....

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Writing/Communication-Public Presentations (3 credit hours) and Humanities II-Philosophy/Religion (3 credit hours).}

The public presentations class helps build speaker's confidence and competence in presenting information and making arguments. Although broad in application, these skills will be put to the test when students develop presentations that explore, evaluate, support, and criticize issues raised in the Introduction to Philosophy course. The philosophy class explores theoretical approaches to understanding some of the “isms” that contemporary society grapples with: racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, and ableism. By framing our discussion in terms of a broader philosophical question - What is the good life? - we will consider how experiences and understandings of privilege and oppression influence our conceptions of the good life.

Combined, this learning community's activities and assignments are designed to help students:

Strengthen critical and analytical thinking abilities

Learn how to research a philosophic topic; organize information; and, using sound reasoning, develop arguments, speeches, and presentations tailored to a specific audience

Gain experience reading and responding to primary texts in philosophy

Become a more confident and competent speaker through hands-on experience

Develop an interest in philosophy and its application to contemporary issues

Understand and strategically use the fundamentals of human communication to inform and persuade others

Use and design visual aids appropriately; specifically, presentation software (Microsoft PowerPoint) will be used

This learning community combines the initial courses in our introductory biology and chemistry series (BIOL105 and CHEM111) and has been designed for science majors and other pre-professional programs in the sciences. Chemistry is the language that we use to understand the molecular basis for biological phenomena. Basic biochemistry, cell biology and genetics can only be fully understood by first having a firm grasp of the chemical nature of bonds, pH, ions, and water. We will use experiments and theoretical models in an integrated setting to explore the chemical basis of biology and the methods of scientific inquiry.

9. The Human Primate in Literature and Anthropology

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Humanities II-Literature (4 credit hours) and Social Sciences II (4 credit hours).}

This course asks who we (human beings) are and how we are, analyzing the wide variety of human behavior across time and geography. Topics discussed include sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, group behavior, and material culture. Literature readings include memoirs, novels, and collections of poems.

10. Give Yourself an A: Leadership and the Art of Possibility

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Living Arts (2 credit hours). Elective Hours: Elective 100T (1 credit hour).}

How can you create a life of infinite possibility? What can you do to live up to your human potential? How can you be a contribution?

“Give Yourself an A” is a technique that opens possibilities. If you knew you would receive an “A” based upon your mastery of material not how your performance compared with others, you would open yourself to a world of infinite possibilities. Apply this to your academic career and soar.

This learning community combines Westminster’s Freshman Seminar with a Liberal Education Leadership Foundation class. Students in this community will analyze past and present opportunities for leadership and become actively engaged in leadership on campus while exploring campus life in and out of the classroom. Understand the theoretical principles underlying effective leadership, the practices used by effective leaders in campus, community, and organizational settings. Understand your own leadership strengths and weaknesses. Understand the responsibilities and privileges of leadership, including moral and ethical decisions and the use of authority and power.

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Living Arts (2 credit hours). Elective Hours: Elective 100T (1 credit hour).}

This learning community combines Orientation to College with Discovering Creativity. Students in this community will explore their creativity and discover multiple personal strengths. This experience is designed to involve students in the process of discovering their own preferential styles and their creative selves. The focus will be four-fold: exploring a variety of theories of the creative process and how it is affected by individual intelligences; considering creative people and their lives; creating products that incorporate personal creativity using various specific intelligences; and examining topics that will help students to be successful in college and beyond! It is an opportunity to look at individual creativity and personal strengths in order to enhance learning and life.

12: Why Math and How Will It Help Me Succeed in College?

{Students who participate in this learning community receive credit for the following LE requirements: Math 105 is a Nursing Program pre-requisite (3 credit hours). Elective Hours: Elective 100T (1 credit hour).}

This course will combine the skills of algebra and the concept of college success. Students will come away with an understanding of why math is so important for their success in college and beyond. We will explore transitions to college, the use of math in biology and chemistry related to nursing, delve into the concepts of real numbers, variables, exponents, equations, polynomial operations, complex numbers, solutions of equations and inequalities, solving linear equations and inequalities and graphing. This may sound like a foreign language, but by the end of the semester algebra will be a new language of success.